Quick Kind...

Okay, so y'all may or may not have heard that the American Samoa Department of Education has changed my departure date...Yeah, I'm a little frusterated, but I'm trying not to dwell on it...I mean, I mine as well make the most of it...Anyways, they tell me I'll be leaving next Tuesday, the 17th of June...But I'm not holdin' my breath...Something tells me they'll screw something up, and I'll be here longer...They said some paper work took long to process, so they had to delay the departure...So, here I am...Stuck here...Like I said, I'm trying to look on the bright side...I mean, I probably won't see this island for another ten or more years...I suppose a few more days isn't going to kill me...Besides, it's more time to spend with the FuamUsos...It just sucks because I prepared myself emotionally to say goodbye today, and now I'm sayin' "nevermind"...I hate not being in control of my own destiny...Especially when I'm on an island surrounded by ocean and millions of miles away from home...

I really wanted to make this blog entry short...All I wanna inform y'all about is the Pledge Page my sister and Suzy put together...It's essentially asking for donations to raise money for Sammy and Gene's tickets to go off island to the states...I am (still) very worried about both of them finding the money to realize their dreams, which is to go to school in America...

Sammy has two schools lined up (San Francisco City College and The New Mexico Military Institute), but he still needs to make a decision...Much of it rests on what his family can afford...I am concerned with Sammy's family only because they didn't even have enough money to come down and celebrate his graduation with him...Therefore, I'm kinda scared they won't have enough money and Sammy will have to go to the American Samoa Community College...

I am worried about Gene because his mom is a widow who is having difficulty with money...I know for a fact she does not have the cash to send him to California where his college (West Hills) is waiting for him...

You may all be wondering why going to the states is so important to these boys...Well, because America means opportunity, education, and girls...Oops, did I say "girls"?...Nah, really...I truly hope and pray these boys can go to the states...Yes, it means opportunity and better jobs for them in the future...But it also means so much more...They will learn profound things about themselves and the world...Their eyes and minds will be opened to new ways of thinking and living...And they will come back to Samoa with these new ways of thinking and living...Also, if they can conquer America, they can conquer anything...In other words, if they can go to a state-side school and survive and accomplish their goals there, then they will for sure come back to this island and become strong, educated leaders...They NEED to go to the states...It will make them better people...Better workers and leaders...Better husbands and fathers...It sounds like I'm overreacting...But if they stay on this island, I am terrified they will be stuck here...Forever...

This is not a charity case and I am not asking you for money...I'm just askin' you to take these boys I have fallen in love with into consideration...We just wanted to see if we could raise any money for them...And even if it's a little bit, it's better than nothing...Here's the Pledge Page link...Directions are there on how to donate...Thanks...And pass the word around about these two Fuams!...

http://sendtheboystoschool.pledgepage.org/

Alright...I gotta go...I'll still post two more entries after this one...So, stay tuned...

Love ya and miss ya...

-JOE

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."
-Flavia Weeden